THE FIRE BRIGADES' CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9033, 26 February 1908, Page 6

THE FIRE BRIGADES' CONFERENCE.

PARTICULARS OF THE ARRANGEMENTS.

The annual Conference of the delegates to the United Fire Brigades' Association of New Zealand, which opens in Masterton on Monday week, will be a gathering of considerable importance, as probably one hundred and fifty visitors will be in Masterton for practically a whole week. Very complete arrangements have been made by the Masterton Fire Brigade and Misterton Fire Police for the reception and entertainment of the delegates, and energetic committees have worked very hard to 'make the Conference a success from their standpoint. To-morrow wsek the Executive Committee of the Association, cornnosed of six members, will arrive, and confer in the Fire Brigade station. This committee will prepare various for the Conference proper to deal with. On Saturday the local receivingcommittee will have a busy time, meeting the various trains, and arranging for the conveyance of the larg? number of visitors to their respective quarters. All the local hotel accommodation available has been engaged, and other arrangements made for the housing of the delegates.. Among the visitors will be Captain Hanson (Westport Brigade), President of the Association, Superintendents Lucas (Spit) and G. Wildish (Gisborne), Vice-Presidents, ex-Captain B. C. Robbins (Mayor of Hawera, and one of the principal movers in th 3 framing of the Fire Brigades' Act), and many other expresidents and executive officers of the Association.

On Sunday week a church parade to S. Matthew's will be held, at which all the delegates, the Greytown, Carterton, and Masterton Fire Brigades and Masterton Fire Police and the Masterton Municipal Band will attend. In the afternoon the delegates and the Band will be driven to Messrs Wardell Bros, property at Te Whiti and entertained.

On the following Monday business begins in earnest, and the order paper gives promise of a long conference. The following motion, proposed by the Napier Brigade, will give some idea of the business to be done: "That the whole of the Association's rules be revised." The first business will be an official welcome by His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. M. Coradinej and Messrs A. W. Hogg, J. T. M. Hornsby, and R. B. Ross, M.P's., after which the roll . will be called, and routine'business transacted. On Tue&day morning a sub-com-mittee will "deal with business referred to it, and applications for service medals. In the afternoon the delegates will be driven to Carterton for an outing, while a "free" night has been set down. On Wednesday the Conference resumes as a whole, and the business may possibly be concluded by the evening. However, a grand banquet has been arranged for in the Town Hall, to be attended by all the leading local dignitaries and prominent visitors.

The Accident Society, a firemen's provident organisation, meets on Wednesday, and if the business is not concluded, Thursday morning will be devoted to it. On Thursday afternoon the Masterton Bowling Club will entertain the delegates on the green, and a match between bowlers of the Conference and local players has been arranged for. The Conference may, perhaps, run up to Friday, but if not the farewell proceedings will take place on that day.